Strawberries
by Psychotically Inclined
Summary: Kiba cackled lightly at the scene, as Ino was grinning, but clearly frustrated at the same time. Neji held his smirk, as his hand shot out. The blond kunoichi groaned in her loss. "Ino-san, you owe me twenty bucks."


_Yeah, so I was reading some of my favorite pairing (Shino/Sakura) when I was struck by inspiration. My mind tends to wander sometimes, hell; school will do that to even the most patient person. Anyways I was reading a really good story, where Shino gets sick, and Sakura treats him, but after only a day, he gets better, though his temperature is still high (making Sakura believe he's still sick) because he likes spending time with her. I was eating strawberries…really good ones too, now that I think on it. I thought about how it must be hard to grow strawberries, since even the slightest change in humidity could make them mold, or bugs could eat them before they were ready to be picked. See? I'm so ADD. I figure, since Shino-kun has his kikaichu to keep away the bugs, he'd be one hell of an orchard keeper, or whatever you call people who grow the fruit, I don't know. Anyways, this idea couldn't leave me, and it was begging to be written…I hope you fans like this pairing as much as I do. Visit my other works, and tell me what you think, ne?_

By the way, Kura is the name of Sakura's Inner. Shin is the name of Shino's Inner. Yeah, that's right, Shino has one too! So do I, but no one has to know that I'm slightly crazy…..did I write that? Oops, oh well. I'm not psycho, just to let you know. Just spontaneous, I am. *wide grin*

_**~*~*Strawberries*~*~**_

All in all, Sakura was having a pretty good social life by far. It was one of her brilliant ideas to gather all of the people she knew best, and have little get togethers.

It served as a bond for people who didn't commonly share one, or a close one, and it provided entertainment. All those included looked at their schedules, and posted them up so they could all agree on a day to meet. Most times it was at one of the girls' houses, for it was convenient. Neji and Hinata chose to work together on the times that they hosted, given that they lived in the same compound. They usually held luncheons within the Hyuuga gardens, maids and servants bustling around to accommodate the guests.

Ten-ten's house was usually where the dinner parties were held. Sakura loved helping out in the kitchen; she felt that if she weren't a shinobi, she could just as easily have been a chef of some sort. It was a side hobby of hers, and she dreamed that she was working in one of the five star restaurants, like Kunai, a famous restaurant for their soups and appetizers.

Naruto always had the movie parties…with snacks and drinks and plush pillows lying around so everyone could be comfortable. There was always controversy with the movies they picked, but most settled on one anyway. Sometimes they decided to watch more than one movie, and would play those little games like ten fingers, or truth or dare.

Shikamaru claimed game night, with boards of different games scattered across the tables the Nara clan member laid out. The most popular games to play were the trivia games, or monopoly, which seemed to be a favorite.

Sakura herself, had cooking parties, where there were fondue sets everywhere, fresh crackers and veggies laying on platters, people cheerfully getting into their creations. Sometimes she had baking or do-it-yourself type themes, where they made their own lunches or dinners.

Lee had training parties. Was there ever such a thing? If not, Lee made it so. Most went because they were obliged to do so, the poor Taijutsu Master's brain focused on training, training, and training….or how lovelier Sakura had grown over the years.

There would be tea parties in the Yamanaka flower gardens, freshly baked cookies, tarts and pastries served on trays adorned with fresh flowers, teas made from the delicate buds the Yamanaka clan were renowned for.

Surprisingly, Kiba and Chouji alternated with the barbeque parties, and sadly, always tried to subtly outdo each other to the point of insanity. Sakura could say that the Inuzuka clan had the best barbeque, but the Akimichi clan had the best presentation. Sure theirs was good, but nothing could beat a slab of ribs and chicken smothered with the Inuzuka clan's special secret barbeque sauce. Slightly tangy and sweet, a little spice to add that flavorful kick. Sakura adored the barbeque parties best. It was a little strange to see all of her friends outside of their shinobi clothing…except for Shino. Sakura frowned.

Most of the group was eighteen years old now, Lee, Ten-ten and Neji all nineteen. It had been three years or so since Shino changed his attire, and even then, it grew unimaginably worse. The only skin Shino would ever show was his hands, and around his now oval sunglasses. She didn't have reservations about his bugs, but she hated it that whenever she talked with Shino it would seem like a criminal interrogation. She could honestly not detect a hint of emotion with her eyes; she had to be crafty and put Kura to work to figure out what his emotions were by his voice, or what he said.

Shino was also the one to yet have a get together of his own. It had been months and months, and Sakura asked the rest of the Rookie Nine, and Lee's team if they had ever set foot inside of the Aburame's compound. All of them, to her surprise said that they haven't been, not even Kiba and Hinata, who were both part of his team, and even more so with Hinata because she was the future head of the Hyuuga clan; shouldn't she have been meeting with the heads of the other clans, or even the future leaders? Sakura had to wonder about that.

Most of the rookie nine were the future leaders of their respective clans. Kiba's clan chose their leader by whichever son was born first, the rest of them picked because of the first born children. Ino, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Chouji, and Shikamaru were Konoha's future defense, as well as leaders of the village. Sakura was proud to say that she wasn't worried one bit about the future of Konoha because of it. Especially because she'd be a huge part of it, with her enormous strength and all. Despite not having the largest source of chakra (Naruto didn't count, he was a Jinchuuriki after all, so that's fairly cheating) she was the physically strongest out of all the ninja, given her chakra control was unparalleled.

The eleven shinobi that made up their little group believed that a ninja must not be completely emotionless. Sometimes, it was the emotion in the person that made them stronger, and everyone knew that Naruto was a fine example of this. He was easily the strongest ninja now, not because he trained the most, or even knew the most jutsu, whether it be ninjutsu or genjutsu. It was because of his determination to succeed, that inner fire burning in his eyes, that he defeated everyone who conspired against him. Other than their senseis and shishous, the rest of the civilians and the shinobi could not figure out why they seemed to be the elite group, each having their own personal skill. Sakura was best with her medic abilities, and genjutsu. Lee was best with taijutsu, and all the rest were different levels of ninjutsu, but in staggering amounts. They were all Jounin, Sakura and Hinata both medical Jounin, but no less powerful.

This led Sakura to believe that since Shino was a very powerful shinobi from a powerful and old clan, why would he need to cover himself up so much? Whether or not the shinobi knew that the bugs were coming after them, they wouldn't escape. He was just too powerful, and a skilled tracker. The Hyuuga clan and the Aburame clans were both formed roughly around the same time, and were distant cousins of the other, though they would never admit to it. Both were tracker clans, the Aburames more so than the Hyuugas, as well as the Inuzuka clan, which was just a little younger than both of them, about seven decades or so. They existed even before there was a Konoha.

Coming back from her analytical thoughts, Sakura was not surprised that she got a formal invitation in the mail, printed in fancy black and silver script, and pressed with the Aburame seal, a stylized version of a kikaichu bug, which was surrounded by a circle, stamped with gold ink.

_.*.*.*To one Ms. Haruno Sakura,*.*.*._

_You are cordially invited to attend a fruit picnic hosted by Aburame Shino at 1 o'clock p.m. in the afternoon today at the Aburame compound. Formal attire required. Please call if you will not attend._

Sakura grinned. She would not have been surprised if it were Shino's words himself, instead of a tastefully elegant card. So official. Shino never did things in simple ways, nor was he ever sloppy. Everything was deliberate, calculated, and careful. She wanted to break him from that just a bit, let him loosen up. Since it was formal, Sakura remembered she still had her old viridian green kimono with pink accents. She hadn't grown much, and if she remembered, the kimono used to be a little bigger than it was supposed to be. She glanced at her clock. It was already a little after ten. She yelped, and figured she didn't have much time. She had to scrub herself up, and brush off her manners and etiquette. Always before being a shinobi, Sakura was a lady. She just hoped that the others weren't so stuffy.

Sakura jumped into the shower, turning on the water as hot as she could stand it, scrubbing herself squeaky clean. She jumped out of the shower, rubbing lotion into her skin so it would retain some moisture. She calmed immediately, the jasmine smell straightening her frazzled nerves. As she shrugged on the outer layer of the kimono, she tried to remember how to tie the obi in the butterfly design as she began to twist her hair in some chic design. Her eyes sparkled. She felt really good about today's activity. It had been a month since their last one, and that one wasn't all that great, except her handing most of the team their asses on a platter. She wished she had a camera. Neji's face of pure terror was priceless, if not cute.

A pair of eyes hidden behind sunglasses watched as his mother polished the marble outdoor patio beneath the scarlet oak trees, setting up the Japanese style low table, eleven cushions of various bright colors situated along the floor. Four on two sides, two on one end, one on the other side.

Shino sat on the enormous wooden porch that surrounded the entire main house of the Aburame clan. He was willing to participate with these….get togethers, as Sakura so creatively put them, but he did not like the fact that such a little get together like this required that he dress formally. His mother made him do it, and while he really didn't want to, he was a good boy, and did what his mother asked of him. He grimaced mentally, thinking of what his mother said…..

'_Oh, Shino-chan, this might do you a world of good! You won't be able to win a female's heart by dressing like you normally do! The formal clothes are more comfortable, and they make you look handsome. Besides, you've never had a girlfriend…you know you have to take over the clan in a couple of years!'_

His mother was just so…blatant sometimes. She was also trying to play matchmaker. You never needed to wonder what she was talking about…she always made it clear when she first spoke. However, it wasn't for the lack of trying that he didn't have a girlfriend. Most of the kunouichi from the academy remembered Shino as the introverted and creepy bug kid, so they stayed away from him unconsciously, knowing what lay just beneath his skin.

The only kunouichi that didn't detest him were Hinata, Ten-ten, Ino, and Sakura. Hinata's crush on Naruto developed into unrequited love over the years, and Naruto just now understood why Hinata blushed or fainted whenever he came around. Ten-ten only made eyes at the Hyuuga prodigy, ever since he'd asked her out around a year ago. Ino and Shikamaru fought like a married couple; no doubt they would officially be one within a couple of years. Ino was the only girl that could stand his laziness, so it actually kind of worked out. Besides, their children would be heartbreakers, with Shikamaru's wild hair and Ino's stunning blue eyes. He just hoped they weren't as loud and lazy as their parents.

This only left Sakura, and it left Shino wondering. It was like Kami presented him with this opportunity to show Sakura how much he appreciated her friendship. Every time the group got together for some fun, Shino would automatically place himself off in one side of the group, where he wouldn't be noticed. Of course, Sakura having to know everything about everything was always the one who scooted Shino back to the group, gently encouraged him if he was fine where he was, or engaged herself in meaningful conversation with him, sometimes to the point of forgetting about everything around them. Once they talked for so long, the party was over, and Sakura found herself alone with him. He always made up some excuse, and got away.

This time, he had no excuses. He was in his own home, and he could not escape her without being too suspicious. Plus, it was just bad manners, and he didn't do bad manners. For him, it was a large part of his honor. But, for some reason, Shino wanted to act on impulse around the sweet pink haired kunouichi. He knew of Sakura's rebellious and stubborn streaks; he knew them well. Only the Hokage herself could surpass her in those areas. Once Sakura made up her mind, she was resolute. Unmovable. Unflappable. There was no way you could change her mind. She would only change her mind if it suited her to, and that was a major difference between her and most women in the village, whether shinobi or civilian.

Shino found himself thinking about Sakura in everyday life. When the sun was just peeking over the horizon, the sky was pink, and he thought of Sakura. Whenever he looked at the trees, with their cooling relief, or the way the wind blew through the dark, vividly green grass, he thought of her eyes. When the sun set, the same pink clouds hung in the equally pink sky, and he was haunted with her image, her smile directed towards him. She smiled at everyone, but he liked to believe the way she smiled at him was slightly different.

Now, by no means was Shino one to ignore obvious signs to him, or to deny what he was feeling. He could not stop thinking of her, he wanted to return the kindness, and there were deep feelings attached to his thoughts of her. Shino realized he was in love. As soon as he realized it, it made him sad, and just a little frustrated. Everyone knew that Sakura had been waiting for five years for that Uchiha bastard to return home. Every ninja team that was sent out to retrieve him could not find him, or was beaten to death before being sent back as a message that he did not plan on coming home anytime soon. Sakura seemed to be unaffected by all of this, and he wondered why. He knew he would continue to wonder; it was just not a subject that was open for discussion.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a stunningly beautiful older woman who looked to be in her late thirties, who had curly hair situated in a high ponytail that looked almost like an afro. She was very short, and had curves that could make the Greek goddesses jealous. She wore a green kimono with ladybugs stitched all over it, a red obi and chopsticks in her hair, with little ladybugs dangling off the ends with beads. She had a pretty round face, beautiful mercury colored eyes that smiled at him as he looked up from his sitting place. Her hand touched his shoulder.

"Shino-chan, it's nearly time for your friends to arrive. It is 12:45. Please, do be polite and remove your glasses for this occasion. It would not do well for any of our guests to feel uncomfortable not knowing where your gaze rests." She placed a kiss to his forehead, her hands holding his face gently.

"Yes, mother." Shino took off his glasses, and placed them in an inner pocket of his Yukata. His mother fret with his hair, trying to smooth it back as much as she could. For being such a powerful kunouichi, she sure fussed over Shino like he was a little boy. Shino inwardly sighed at his mother's constant fussing, but it let him know that she cared, and he would not argue, it was just her way. She straightened invisible creases in his yukata. She looked up at her son, whom she was kneeling next to, as he was sitting. She looked into his face. Shino looked at his mother, and sensed that there was more that she wanted to say. Her eyes studied his face carefully.

"Shino, I know I may not always say it, but I do love you. I may act all clingy, but the truth is, I have everything I could ever want. A loving husband, a handsome and equally powerful shinobi for a son, who brings us much honor, and a life that I enjoy spending as a ninja. Now that I have achieved my goals, it is time for me to guide you. You will be head of this household when you turn twenty. I do not like that you do not even have a girlfriend, or have ever had one, and that you've been training nonstop. But I respect your decisions. I have stopped Shibi from choosing your bride for you."

Shino had the grace to look shocked as his mother took a seat next to him. She nodded, for it looked as if Shino could not believe his ears, and he was glad she did, because he couldn't. His father tried to go behind his back and marry him off to some girl he didn't even know? He knew his father was desperate for him, but he didn't know it was this serious. His mother, Aibiko, smoothed a fold in her kimono. She shook her head sadly, her eyes telling him that she was reliving a past memory.

"Shino, let me tell you something. I know that you know I love your father very much; in fact, I would do anything for him. But you see, it was not always this way." She shifted in her seat, trying to relive the moments so Shino could envision them.

" I was chosen for Shibi when we turned seventeen. I had no choice. I came all the way from a remote village near the edge of Fire country, close to Cloud country. I had never known Konoha until I was taken here and lived as his fiancée for two years. Our meeting was like the gods themselves fighting. I would curse, spit, and detest his entire being, and he loathed me as well, and with everything he had." She smiled grimly, but a loving twinkle filled her eyes full of sadness.

"Well, it wasn't until we had a huge fight, that I realized that I loved him. During those couple of years, we knew more about the other than anyone, and one day, Konoha was attacked during the Great War. The Aburame compound was attacked first, since we are in direct position from the east, and our compound takes up at least a tenth of Konoha, therefore causing a large blow to our great village. I remember it as if it had just happened; there was a great fire in the complex, and Shibi went off and saved most of our people. He was trapped within the fires, and my kikaichu were not skilled or strong enough to fight against it, given that they had been newly placed inside of me, and I could not control them well yet. I had a fight with him earlier that day, not knowing that this could be our last fight if I didn't do something. I cried. I cried so hard, hearing his coughing, and him telling me that everything was okay. I didn't want to believe him, he was trapped inside of a burning building, and I was powerless to do something about it. By then, a Suinin had come and used ninjutsu to wash away the fire. I was a kunouichi, but I froze. Sure, I'm mostly a Kazenin, but that wouldn't have made the fire die. After that, I hit him, and cried on him, spouting apologies about the way I acted, and that he meant much to me. He told me that I was beautiful when I was angry, and that he loved starting fights with me because of it. I wanted to beat him up, but knowing the way he was, he'd probably just enjoy it. Ever since then, it's been smooth sailing. We've had a couple of squabbles, but it's expected. We still don't agree on some things, but if it's one thing that we agree on, is that we love each other very much." She smiled, as Shino took all of this in. She knew he was waiting for the point of the story.

"Shino, I went through the same thing your father tried putting you through. Although it worked out for us, there is most certainly no guarantee that it will for you. I know you have a couple of years or so to think about it. But for your own sake, please do." She made to stand, when Shino touched her shoulder. His eyes averted away from his mother.

"Well, I suppose there couldn't be more perfect timing, but…" Aibiko looked at her son with vague surprise. He'd found a girlfriend? She smiled.

"Well? _Spit it out_, Shino!" Shino smiled shyly and coughed behind a hand.

"Well, I kind of have my sights set on one girl-" his mother squealed, clapping her hands together in happiness. Her eyes were wide, looking like two new quarters shining brightly in the mid-morning sun. Shino inwardly laughed at his mother's expression. It was slightly hilarious.

"_Ooooohh!_ Who is she? Do I know her? Is she kind? She'd _better_be…" Aibiko could not believe that she would no longer have to hold back Shibi's decision. She could say with honesty that Shino liked someone, but she had to know who it was.

"Apparently, everyone does, so I assume that yes, you do know her. She is far kinder than any other girl. Mother, it's not for lack of wanting to, but all the girls around my age here are either already claimed, or think that the kikaichu are disgusting. Except for Sakura-san, that is. She's everything I want in a girl. Incredibly strong, just as beautiful, and has a great personality-"

"Wait, dear. Did you say Sakura? As in Haruno Sakura, the very kunouichi apprenticed to the Hokage herself?" Aibiko looked a little skeptic, but urged him to go on.

"Yes. She is the only girl to my knowledge who has shown any kind of interest in me. She is a wonderful conversation partner, and she hates it when I sit in a corner and watch what everyone else is doing. She always drags me back to the group, and if no one will talk to me, she will. I've always admired her beauty and strength, but now that I know she has a heart to match it, I wish that I could have the honor of being with her." Shino knew he sounded hopeless, but he had to get that out. His mother was excellent at keeping secrets; he could trust her with this one until it was time to reveal. He just hoped that it would be soon. Shino watched as his mother bit her lip, a gleeful expression crossing her features. He looked slightly annoyed.

"Don't even think about playing matchmaker, mother." Aibiko tried to look innocent, but she couldn't hold it in. Her sudden grin was reminiscent of Naruto's prize-winning devilish teeth flash. Aibiko gasped as she looked at her watch. "Shino-chan, you've got five minutes to reach the front gates. You'd better leave now. Remember just to be yourself, dear. She's already falling for you, I can tell just from what you told me." Aibiko stood and left to help put the finishing touches on the food. Shino sighed audibly this time.

Luminous mercury colored eyes looked determined to make the best of the situation. He sighed as he rose to welcome his guests into the gates of the compound. He would not be able to sneak glances at the pink haired cherry blossom anymore.

Sakura heard a knock at the front door. She spritzed on a bit of perfume and ran to open her apartment door. There was Hinata, Shikamaru, and Ino waiting in their formal. There was a large orange, blonde and red blur, Naruto busting the door wide open, and glomping Sakura to bits.

"**SAKURA-CHAN!**I missed you so much!" Hinata giggled at the harassed look on Sakura's face. She gently pried a nuzzling Naruto from Sakura's body. Shikamaru mumbled some very familiar words, and Ino whacked him with her purse lightly. He just gave her a lazy look and shut up.

"Sorry about this, Sakura-chan. He gets like this when he's away for long missions." Hinata giggled again. Sakura smiled and nodded in understanding. It seemed like Naruto was doing her a world of good. Hinata never said an entire sentence without a stutter before she got with him. If anything, Sakura wondered if she had an Inner too. Hinata was more bold and outright with her speech nowadays, and it shocked some of the others sometimes. She even yelled at Kiba sometimes for his stupidity.

"Yo _forehead!_"

"What is it, _piglet?_"

"Well….I don't know how else to say it but directly….I'm getting married!" Ino shrieked. Sakura's mouth fell open abruptly, but after that, it melted into a happy grin. They took each other's hands and bounced around, screaming loudly. Shikamaru winced and covered his ears at the mermish like sound.

"Oh, _pig_, he finally….?" Sakura took one look at the lazy ninja. Ino nodded enthusiastically. Sakura took a closer look at the diamond ring on Ino's finger. It was beautiful. And looked hella expensive. Just what kind of money was Shikamaru-kun making?

"Yeah, yeah! He placed it on my finger last night when we went to sleep, I noticed it in the mirror this morning and _shrieked_, and he expected me to come back into the room. Bastard had a cheeky grin on his face, and asked me if I would accept. Hell, forehead, why _wouldn't_I? After that, we-"

"Oi, don't tell her _everything_…" Shikamaru blushed a pretty shade of pink. Sakura and Ino laughed, Sakura already getting an idea of what Ino was about to say. She cupped a hand close to Ino's ear.

"_Was he any good?"_Shikamaru looked mortified, but clearly wanted to know what she thought of him in the sack.

"Let's just say he's not entirely lazy….colors not even in the spectrum flashed before my eyes!" both women giggled as Hinata smiled, shaking her head. She checked her watch.

"Hey you guys, it's 12:30. We should get a move on…" Sakura nodded in agreement, grabbing her purse and keys, locking the door after setting up the standard shuriken and senbon traps. They began a leisurely walk to the Aburame compound, which was about twenty minutes away.

"Hey, nobody has ever been inside of the Aburame compound, what do you think it's like?" asked Ino. The rest of them looked thoughtful (except for Shika, for he hated doing anything that usually required energy). Naruto was the one to speak up first, his face set up in the foxy squint.

"Well, he is a bug shinobi…maybe there are bugs crawling all over the place."Hinata shook her head.

"That can't be right, Naruto-kun. The only bugs he controls are his kikaichu. Perhaps it's full of trees, like a forest. There have to be at least a few trees; the Aburame family is known throughout Fire Country not only as the bug shinobi clan, but also for the fruit they produce. It's easily the sweetest, freshest, and has the least rotten pieces because they use their kikaichu to keep harmful bugs from eating the fruit before it can mature. Father always orders the fruit directly from the Aburame compound. I like their apples and peaches…they are always the sweetest!" Hinata smiles. Ino looked sullen, and shook her head.

"That's not the only thing they are known for…their flowers are the best in Fire Country, but they aren't usually used for sales. They raise them for the bees they keep, and they make the most delicious honey that you could ever taste…sweet, but that bitter aftertaste isn't left in your mouth afterward…oh, I hope he serves some of that honey there. I'd seriously hug him forever! That stuff is expensive to buy… eight bucks a bottle! But it's so worth it!" Ino rambled on and on.

Sakura giggled. Well, now she knew why the Aburame family was so wealthy. But they put out the highest quality items, so it was all worth it. Sakura imagined that they must have the biggest compound because of their many professions and ninja, bee keepers and orchard keepers. It all made perfect sense, because the Aburame compound took up a tenth of Konoha. They were now on the main road, and decided to just take a straight shot to the compound, which was the furthest east. They ran into Lee, who was also on his way.

"Ah, Sakura-chan! You look very lovely. It is as if the angels cry in jealousy at your youthful beauty!" Lee was dressed in formal, but it was still that hideous shade of green he was so keen on wearing. Sakura smiled politely, wondering just how she was going to stop the Taijutsu master from showering her with affections this time. Well, she didn't have long to wait. He pulled her in the back of the group, talking to her quietly.

"Sakura-chan, I know this may seem…bold of me to ask, but, you have been acting a bit different lately. I notice you seem a bit….lonely. It is obvious that you will never return my affections, but maybe, do you long for someone else to return yours?" Lee looked a little serious, and it shocked Sakura. She rarely ever saw Lee be anything but nice and...chivalrous, so she knew he was genuinely concerned. Sakura did her best to answer him to the best of her ability.

"Lee-kun, even though I do not return your affections, it does not mean the ones that you give me aren't appreciated. However, I tried feeling that way for you, and I honestly don't feel anything past a platonic relationship with you. I value our friendship highly. I am longing for someone to call my own, since I've been over Sasuke for a few years now. I guess you could say that I am a bit lonely. But, don't worry about me, Lee. I'm sure that everything will work out very soon." She smiled at him with her sweet grin, and Lee nodded. They looked up, and noticed they were far behind the rest of them. Lee smiled at Sakura.

"Hey, let's catch up to them…we are almost at the compound." Lee had a head start, but Sakura was not far behind, laughing, the wind blowing in her hair.

Shino walked slowly to the gate. What would he say to her? How would he tell her? Would he actually open his mouth and let something come out of it? These were the things that Shino pondered upon, as he made his way to the front to open the gates.

Shino did the necessary hand seals in the blur of a second, and the vines slithered away to let the gate swing freely. It seemed that Neji, Kiba, Chouji and Ten-ten were already there. Surprisingly, Chouji was not munching on potato chips, and Kiba was looking pretty snazzy in his yukata. As expected, the heads of their families wore their family symbols proudly. Kiba wore an elaborate yukata with the white wolf howling up at the moon from an icy cliff in the snow. Kiba noticed Shino first.

"Yo, could you tell us where Aburame Shino is? We have a personal invitati—" Ten-ten whacked Kiba on the head with her fist, and he whimpered sulkily. She smiled at him suddenly, whipping her head in an instant towards the bug master.

"_So_sorry to be rude. He doesn't know where his manners are. Could you please lead us to him?" Ten-ten asked sweetly. Neji knew that they were speaking with Shino, but he wanted to see the surprise on his companions' faces once he told them, or they figured it out. If he knew Shino, he would wait for them to figure it out as well.

Shino thought it hilarious that they did not know he was that very person standing before them. He knew that Neji knew, nothing got past the Juuken user. Shino smiled a small smile, his eyes narrowing with contentment. Ten-ten and Ino sighed as they whispered behind their hands at this handsome Aburame clan member.

"Hey, you guys! We're here!" Naruto was never good at being silent, and although the rest of them would never trade him for anything, they still needed to whack him a few times upside the head just to make sure the hamster was still alive in his head, and rolling on its wheel. Oh, Naruto was by no means stupid; he was just known to have a very short attention span to anything that didn't pertain to Sakura, Hinata, ramen, or being the Hokage. Or any of the previous mixed together in different situations. Sakura hauled up and drilled her knuckles into the back of the blonde's head, effectively dampening his enthusiasm with pain.

Sakura's eyes had fire in them, and Shino watched as Sakura chewed out Naruto in front of everyone else, as he cowered in fear from the mighty fist of Sakura. Shino vaguely noted to himself that she would become a great mother one day. If she could keep Naruto in line, then she could handle a few toddlers. He frowned lightly. That is, if she got married and had children. It was known throughout Konoha since five years ago that she pined for the Uchiha, wishing and waiting for him to return. The people didn't seem to mind; it were as if Konoha was starring in a huge fairytale that Sakura and Sasuke were the main characters for, the rest of her friends the little rag-tag group that made the story endearing. Shino became resolute. This was no fairytale. Sakura had a choice on whom she could be with, and she certainly was not some damsel in distress.

Though this did not stop Shino from wanting to become her knight.

Sakura stopped her nagging, and looked up. They were at the Aburame compound, and there was…oh. Sakura blushed under the intense gaze of the man at the entryway. His hair was wildly ruffled in an elegant sort of way, his face draped with delicate eyebrows and lovely almond shaped mercury colored eyes….they shone in the partial sunlight, as a tree sheltered the entrance of the compound with its ravishing green leaves. The partial shade also made his clothing and skin appear mottled with dark and light spots of the same color. His skin was very pale, the color of ivory, and so smooth looking, she wanted to run her fingers over it to see if it felt as soft as it looked. His clothing was well chosen, with rich colors. He wore a khaki colored yukata, with a darker brown haori coat, tied lightly with a dark brown cord from the inside. He wore polished wooden geta with the raised bars underneath, the wood the same color as his overcoat. To put it simply, Sakura thought he was hot. Kura was wolf whistling and stemming the flow of her figurative nosebleed, as she noted that his yukata was tied loosely at the top, showing perfect muscles on pale skin. Sakura fought the urge to drool.

Shino smiled lightly. He wanted to cover his ears for what was going to happen next, but it couldn't be avoided. Shin sighed, rolling his figurative eyes. '**Here we go.'**

"Hello. I see that you all are here on time. I trust all is well?" Shino asked. Several things happened in the next second. Hinata fainted dead away, since she was the first to react. Naruto catches her, though his mouth was wide open in shock. Kiba's eyes bugged out nervously while Shikamaru wheezed, choking on air. Ino and Ten-ten's eyes widened to roughly the size of dinner plates. Lee did his youthful grin and tooth shine, and Neji just nodded in acknowledgment. Sakura however was a different story.

On the inside, Kura was dying of ultimate blood loss. She was quickly becoming dehydrated too, as she was drooling rivers of saliva to mix with her blood. Kura was temporarily indisposed, and left Sakura hanging. She didn't know how to react. So her face flushed a bit in surprise, and she bowed respectfully to Shino, who in turn bowed back.

"Thanks again for having us here, Shino-kun. I'm sure we'll have a wonderful experience here!" Sakura smiled genuinely, Shino's breath catching in his throat. He smiled a small smile back lightly, and turned and led the group into the gates. As soon the last person stepped through, the gate immediately shut on its own, the vines slithering back into place, the flowers blooming once again in clumps of purple, baby blue and pink color.

Everyone was awed at the magnificence of the entire compound. It was at least a quarter mile walk from the front gates to the main house, forests and wildlife trusting that the Aburame clan would not harm them. Sakura was walking with Shino, and squealed when she saw a fawn. She looked up at Shino with pleading, shiny green eyes, and Shino almost couldn't take 'The Look'. 'The Look' came in many different emotions, but it was the pleading one that Shino had no defenses for. If women knew his weakness, they would exploit it to death.

"I'm sure she will let you come near her." Shino smiled softly, leaving her to her whims. The others were admiring, and they hadn't minded that they've stopped to take in the scenery a bit. Sakura crept closer and closer to the baby deer, when finally, she reached out her hand to let the fawn sniff at her. The little one's nose was cool, and Sakura giggled as it snuffled and sniffed her entire hand. The baby wanted to be petted, so she bumped Sakura's hand up to the top of her head, where she nuzzled into Sakura immediately. Sakura went all moe and pet her gently, hugging the fawn, whose tail waggled back in happiness. Shino couldn't help the small smile that graced his face.

"It seems you have made a new friend." Sakura nodded enthusiastically, as the little one followed her. Shino looked a bit sad, though his voice did not change its tone.

"I found her alone about a few miles outside of Konoha's wall. Her parents were dead…apparently some passing grass nin slaughtered them for food, and left the baby alone. I was on my way back from a mission, so I decided to let her live on our grounds. Shikamaru may take her to let her live with his sacred deer, it depends. Wherever she is happy the most." Sakura grinned slightly.

"She seems perfectly content to follow me around and cuddle me. Almost as if she thought I were her mother." The little one made cooing noises when Sakura scratched a particular spot on the underside of her chin. Shino's smile got slightly wider.

"That's because she most likely does. Sakura-san, would you be willing to take care of a doe? Of course, she would stay here, but you could visit her often, to let her know you care for her." The group began to move again, this time with an extra little guest that pranced around the group. Sakura walked next to Shino, and he couldn't help but notice her bright kimono. The other girls wore slightly darker colors, while hers was bright green silk brocade with small sakura trees with trailing petals decorating the bottom of her kimono and the sleeves. She wore a pink obi with a green cord tying it together. It was simple in its design, but it brought out her good points the best.

Sakura took up a leisurely pace next to Shino, enjoying the cool breeze, and the sound of many rustling leaves in the trees. Although Shino did not look the way he usually did, Sakura felt comfortable around him. She figured it had something to do with them getting closer socially, and being around the other for long periods of time, talking.

Sakura realized that Shino was not a man of very many words, but whatever he did say, it was filled with infinite wisdom, and meaningful thoughts. She and Shino talked about many things, like the politics of Konoha, the treaties with other countries, some conspiracies, or what were going to grow to be conspiracies within other countries they've visited on their missions. They spoke about the changing world for the shinobi nowadays, and how much different things were when they were still in the academy.

As much as they had talked to each other, there were many things that Sakura still didn't know. She wanted to know more about him, he was the missing piece of the puzzle she'd been trying to unlock since she'd wanted to know all about all of her friends. She realized that when she saw all of her other friends make those faces (except Neji, he didn't do the emotion thing too well) that they never bothered to ask Shino much about himself, not even his teammates Kiba and Hinata, who were probably by far the closest to him.

Shino hadn't seemed to have minded, but it bothered Sakura greatly, but she had no way to approach him about it. She came up with the idea of the get-togethers as leverage to get closer to him. She wouldn't have been able to just walk up to him. It was just…abnormal. Shino would think she was a little insane if she just walked up and was all like, '_Hi, Shino! I want to get to know you better. Let's talk!'_no, that wasn't it. That was wrong on so many levels. Firstly, the whole random 'I walk/poof/appear out of nowhere' thing just didn't cut it. Secondly, the phrase 'I want to get to know you better' seemed to come off as innuendo these days. Lastly, and may we reiterate, Shino was just not a talkative person. He would be more prone to stare you down as you babbled and gossiped on and on.

Sakura couldn't help but to be nosy about Shino. He intrigued her, just like a puzzle or game intrigued Shikamaru-kun. He was an enigma to be solved, and be damned if something ever stopped Sakura to achieve her goals. Being as unshakable as she'd made herself in order to make herself stronger, she was still as stumped as the rest of her teammates. How could she not realize that Shino was a total cutie underneath all those layers he wore? She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, and quickly looked away when she found that he was looking at her.

"Is there something bothering you, Sakura-san?" She turned to look at him, his face devoid of emotion, but his eyes clearly expressing concern. She wanted to tell him that he was in fact the thing she was so hung up about, but she thought better of it and just shook her head instead.

"Nothing much for you to worry about, Shino-kun. I am just enjoying these forests. This is the first time I'd ever been in the Aburame compound…it is a beautiful sight to behold." Sakura smiled as Shino nodded in agreement, a small noise escaping his throat in acknowledgment.

"Ah, then there is something bothering you. " Shino said this matter-of-factly; it let Sakura know that he still wanted to know. Well, how should she begin? There were so many questions.

"Why do you wear those sunglasses? I've always wondered." Sakura waited for the inevitable pause. He always liked to think over his answers carefully, or maybe just give it some thought.

"There are several reasons, Sakura-san. First and foremost, it shields our eyes from excessive lighting. The kikaichu do not like it when excessive light comes into my eyes. Another reason is that they work for interrogational purposes, allowing my feelings and emotions to remain to myself whenever I wear them. Although you are my friend, and so is the group behind us, you seem a little uncomfortable. Lastly, I am fully aware of the effect my eyes have on people, especially females. I do not wish to have a fan club stalking me. It is too much trouble to deal with." Sakura could have sworn she heard slight disgust and disdain at clubs. She outright laughed, startling Shino a little. If you could call blinking a little. Her laughter was a pleasant sound; it reminded Shino vaguely of those little silver bells. She shook her head at him.

"Shino, I'm sorry that you have to wear them. You must be used to them by now, but I could never imagine having to wear them all the time. It would be a little strange for me. My eyes are my best feature; I think that's why I think that wearing glasses constantly is so strange. I kind of hate my pink hair. I don't even know where I got it from, my mother has sable colored hair, and my father has jet black hair. As for the first reason, I guessed that it may have had something to do with your kikaichu; the glasses wearing is kind of a huge stick-out with the Aburame family. As far as interrogational purposes, I guess that that would be a reason that anyone could guess; you don't show your emotions very well, the only reason I can read yours so well was because of Sas—"

She shut up quickly, trying to change the subject.

"Well, I suppose having a fan club could irritate anyone…I don't know how Neji-kun deals with those girls…." Sakura laughed nervously. Shino finally saw an opening to have a discussion with Sakura about her deeper struggles.

"So, there was something bothering you after all. Your overly cheerful disposition is a by-product of the way Uchiha treated you."Shino said this with utmost certainty and mercilessness; like he was never wrong. Sakura was a bit saddened, and angry at the same time. She made to turn around, when a large, warm hand gripped her wrist firmly, pulling her back, but not turning her around. Shino's voice was warm and melodic, with icy undertones. Sakura shivered involuntarily.

"Sakura-san, it will not do well to disgrace yourself over something trivial like this. This topic needed to be discussed years ago. Just because I do not show my emotions very well does not mean that I am blind to the feelings of others around me." He then turned her around, tilting her face up to his expressionless one, yet his eyes said all he needed to say. There was worry, anger, and was that a bit of…regret?

"It is obvious that you hide your pain and suffering behind your smiles. I will not marvel at your acting skills, nor will I coddle you and tell you that he will be back. He will not. It has been six years that you have wasted waiting for someone who truly does not love you. If he had, even just a little bit, there would have been some sign of his returned affections by now. You cannot live in the past if you are looking to a future. As a friend, this needed to be said. You have just given me the proper grounds with which to speak of this matter." His fingers brushed away the tears that began to fall minutes ago. Shino knew he'd fallen even deeper in love when her tear stained face looked up at him with hope, and search of comfort. Sakura's eyes widened as Shino smiled a small, rare smile. Her cheeks flushed, Shino thought her embarrassment to be endearing in a way.

"I am tired of seeing this fake, unhappy Sakura smile at me with empty eyes and a cold heart. I'm not going to ask you to get over him this instant; I know it will take more time than that to heal. But I had to get you to see that you are worth more than that Uchiha can realize." Shino let her go, and began to walk the rest of the way up the path. Sakura stood there for a moment, until Naruto saw Sakura's tears.

"Oi, Sakura-chan! Are you okay? Did Shino hurt you?" He got all defensive, but Sakura placed a hand on his arm, shaking her head.

"I'm fine, Naruto. In fact, I've never felt this…_free_." Sakura smiled at Naruto genuinely for the first time, and it made the blonde blush. She resumed her walk to the Aburame estate, the small fawn taking up her prancing once more.

Sakura was the last person to reach the outdoor table. Naruto, Hinata, Ino and Shikamaru took one side, while Neji, Ten-ten, Lee, and Kiba took the other. Chouji took one side to himself, stretching languidly with all the extra space he had. Shino left a spot open next to him so he could talk to her. She gingerly stepped up on the platform, and took her seat on a silvery-gray colored cushion. As soon as she sat, a few maids bustled around with several dishes. Sakura giggled as the fawn sat next to her, licking her cheeks.

Shino was not fazed, he was used to the food being laid out, but he was much more interested in the presentation. There were fresh raspberries, much redder and plumper than usual laid out, as well as blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries laid out in bowls. There were sliced apples, peaches, oranges and figs, artfully arranged on platters with fresh sprigs of mint. There was a cornucopia filled to overflowing with red and green grapes, and three kinds of cherries, black, yellow, and red. There were cans of whipped cream, chocolate fudge, fresh crusty loaves of buttery baked bread, a line of fresh jams, preserves, and marmalades sitting next to some of the honey that Ino so adored. Cheeses of all kinds and crackers filled several trays surrounding the fruity delights. Finally, there were large pitchers filled with home-made lemonade, and others of home-made fruit punch.

Sakura could not keep her eyes off of the spread before her. Where would she even start? Her confusion was adorable. Ino cried, hugging the jar of honey that had unknowingly been set closest to her. Shino gave her a strange look, as well as the rest of the table. She looked around at the rest of the faces.

"_What?_I like this honey; it's the best in all of the five countries!" Shino smiled…he was the one to tend to the bees.

"Try it spread on a bit of the crusty bread, Ino." Ino looked at Shino as he spoke quietly. She shrugged and spread some of the honey on the bread, taking a bite. Her face was blank at first, and Shino and the others waited to see how she would take it.

"_Oh….._" Hearts popped up in Ino's eyes as she took another bite, and moaned deeply. Sakura laughed at her friend, watching her pack away the bread and honey. A bowl of strawberries was set in front of her.

"If I remember correctly, these were your favorites. Eat." Sakura looked up at Shino as he spoke to her in his usual clipped tones. She took the bowl, and took her knife, slicing up the strawberries. She saw him eating apple slices with crusty bread spread with orange marmalade. She placed her sliced strawberries in a pile, taking a small sauce bowl and pouring chocolate fudge sauce in it. She squirted some whipped cream on the berries, and lifted one to her mouth. She closed her eyes.

Delicious.

Shino kept eating, but Shin gulped, as he looked at Sakura. Now was not the time to be devising ways to pour chocolate sauce over her, but Shino could not help himself. Shin gained a nosebleed from Shino's artistic imaginings of a naked Sakura covered with only the barest of sheets around her private bits, eating strawberries with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. Every time her teeth sank into the confection, it was Shino's willpower that kept him from hoisting her over his shoulder, and taking her to his room to continue what she so unwittingly started.

Shino didn't know it, but Sakura was well aware of just what Shino was thinking of right now. She had to say; she found it terribly flattering to have a male barely restraining himself from wanting to fuck you over something as simple as eating strawberries covered in whipped cream. He hid his intent well, but she could read emotions in the swirls of chakra quite easily. His was swirling like he was angry, but instead of being in random swirls, his was a slower, steadier swirl that centered around his center chakra point. It was intense, and Sakura could feel it radiate off of him in fresh heady waves.

Was it wrong to want so badly from someone so soon after getting over someone else? Neh, Sakura didn't care. She knew that Shino was lonely like she was, but only more so because of his family techniques.

So she decided she would play this little game with him. It was called, 'See how long Shino lasts within Sakura's feminine wiles before he snaps and loses himself'. Kura grinned with pure malevolence. She hoped for his sake that his will was strong.

Sakura was willing to play this game. She knew Shino was interested in her the moment their first serious conversation at the get togethers started. It was the most she'd ever seen him speak before, and he really was interested in what she had to say. Their conversations ranged from battle taijutsu and different ninjutsu that were effective in different situations, from the movies that played last week, and whether or not they were note-worthy. Time seemed to pass quickly…almost too quickly for the both of them, and sometimes Sakura could hear a bit of regret in his voice as he got up to leave. She knew he was an exceptional ninja from the start, and was interested in him immensely, and looked forward to seeing him again, every time. Sakura did not deny he was intelligent and highly wise for someone who had yet to see nineteen winters, and slowly began to develop a want for much more than their usual conversations. Sakura did not care what he looked like at the time, she wanted to rip off every layer of clothing on his person and have her way with him.

But after seeing him up close and personal, she couldn't help the way the heat pooled in her lower regions, with a pleasurable burning sensation. When he smiled at her, she could feel herself growing rather moist between her legs. Sakura never wanted Sasuke this badly, and she forgot all about him once Shino's body and chakra language made it very clear that he was the one who was intending to rip off the clothes in this situation and take her senseless. Sakura gasped lightly out loud as she imagined his eyes staring at her from above her, burning in their intensity. Sakura finished off the last of her meal, wiped her mouth and looked at Shino. Though his face was serenely blank, his eyes were smoldering.

"Shino-kun, is it possible for me to go on a walk around the grounds?" Shino looked at all of the other guests, who were still quite content in stuffing their faces happily. Shino nodded once, and stood.

"I will accompany you. These grounds are rather large, and you might get lost." he then turned to the rest of the group at the table. "If you need anything, the maids will be happy to accommodate you. We are going for a walk. We will return later." Sakura and Shino left quietly as the rest finished their meals. Chouji signaled several maids, and the rest of the group laughed.

Sakura and Shino went into the line of the trees, and then began to jump them quickly for a few minutes to gain some privacy. They landed in a small clearing, underneath a blossoming plum tree. The wind blew gently, and Sakura found herself unable to look into Shino's eyes.

"Sakura-san, why must you torture me?" Sakura looked up at Shino with surprise. Did he really think she was intending to torture him? Maybe tease a little, but then again, Sakura never told him that she knew she was over Sasuke a long time ago.

"Before I reached the gates of the Aburame compound, Lee-kun and I had a small talk. He noticed my loneliness. Do you want to know what I told him?" she looked at Shino intently, his barely imperceptible nod fueling her need to answer.

"I told him that I was over Sasuke two years ago. Even though I was over him, I hated to talk about him to anyone. I was ripping myself apart from inside. You provided what I needed to get rid the last vestiges of him from my tortured mind. Now, I feel…free. My love of him, almost an obsession, I'd say, held me chained and barred. I feel like flying now, I couldn't remember what it felt like to be so unburdened." She smiled serenely, as he stood there, not knowing what to make of everything. She giggled, knowing he was obviously lost. Shino could kill a man in his sleep…she'd seen it on a past mission. She thought it was _so_cool….but she thought it funny that in a situation with a girl, he was completely clueless. She stepped closer to the bug master, completely invading his personal space.

"Shino-kun…where do I stand with you in your mind? We are most obviously friends, and we've gotten pretty close in the past couple of years. I've learned much about you…I know that you don't like tomatoes, but you like spaghetti sauce…you love to collect bugs, you love comedy movies, and you are addicted to chocolate ice cream and pocky, all flavors except for peach and coffee." He nodded, she was correct with all of her information. His eyes landed on hers when she took his hands. She looked down at their entwined hands, hers so small against his larger ones.

"Shino, I don't bother to know stuff like that unless it's important to me. I…over time, I slowly developed some…feelings for you, Shino. So, it's not just teasing. If you want to let something happen between us, it won't just be one-sided…" she trailed as she looked up from their hands. She was struck speechless. The look of want in Shino's eyes…it stirred something infinitely more…_primal_than hunger between the both of them. His eyes were ablaze with raw need…it made Sakura's knees weak and wobbly that such a look could be directed towards her. As he took her in his arms, she felt a low vibration coming from his body, and even though she knew what it was, she was highly aroused at the fact that even his kikai joined him in the sensations that she unwittingly gave to him. Her eyes closed at the arousing, yet relaxing feel of the hum of his kikai.

She was pressed up against his body, her back against the rough bark of the scarlet oak. She gasped in pleasure as she realized there was something rather hard and long poking her in the stomach. Her eyes squeezed shut even tighter as his lips came down and nibbled at the space right behind and below her left ear. His sweet, hot breath, reminiscent of the honey and apples he'd had earlier teased the inner shell of her ear pleasurably. Shino growled lowly, licking the outer rim of her ear lightly, enjoying the subtle shivers that seemed to involuntarily press her closer into his body. He ground his hips into hers, satisfied at the sharp intake of breath, and the sudden rush of pheromones he could detect.

"Sakura…." His voice was thick and silky, causing her underwear to become that much wetter. She was on pleasure overload, and he hadn't even gotten her naked yet! She whimpered, cracking her eyes open slightly, afraid that if she opened them, the pleasure would disappear. Her hands slid down his chest, around his hips and up his back as he nibbled at her neck slowly and thoroughly. Sakura was so wet, she was sure that her juices were streaming down her thighs slowly now.

She could smell his fresh fragrance of soap, cedar wood and a hint of spice that made her insides twist with want. Shino had one hand on her hip, another buried in her soft pink hair. His lips met hers, and it was all she could do but to stifle the moan that threatened to rip through her throat. Kura was still incapacitated from her earlier surprise, so Sakura was on her own still. Not that she cared.

Shino was trying his best not to rip her clothes off and fuck her senseless. After that 'show' she gave him at the table earlier, he knew she was being polite, in favor of laying herself out on the table and screaming 'fuck me now' in front of all the guests.

Everyone all at the table sneezed at once. They looked at each other and shrugged, going back to their meals.

Shino groaned. She was practically begging for it now. Her body rubbed up against his in all the right spots, and he had to wonder if she'd done something like this before. He pressed himself into her again, sucking in a breath with a slight hiss through his teeth. He was so painfully hard, but he didn't want to force her into something she wasn't ready for. As much as he just wanted to take her against the tree, he had to snap himself out the hazy cloud that settled over his senses. He stopped kissing and sucking at her neck for a few moments to talk to her.

"Sakura….are you _sure_-" Sakura growled at him, shoving his face close to hers. She looked dead in his eyes, and he could see fire in hers. He gulped. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to incite Sakura's anger.

"Shino, if you don't fuck me _now_, so help me _God_ I _will_ throw you down and impale _myself_ on your cock! I've practically offered myself to you on a silver platter! Don't do this to me now. Please, do _NOT_ do this to _me_now!" she ended her tirade with a growl and pressed her lips into his aggressively, opening his yukata to expose him to the sun. Shino lost all his doubts as he deftly untied her obi and pulled it off of her. Their clothing dropped quickly as they sank to the grassy floor beneath the large tree. They were left in their underwear, and Shino sat against the tree, Sakura crawling over him to straddle his thighs. They kissed again, grinding into each other, sharp gasps escaping them softly. Sakura's hands trailed down his chest, running her fingernails over his nipples, eliciting a sharp gasp of breath from Shino. She grinned wickedly, but not before Shino placed a hand behind her back, and with a flick of his wrist, loosened her bra and slid it off her shoulders. She looked at him incredulously. He chuckled seductively, running his fingers over her own nipples in retaliation.

"Bugs aren't the _only_things I study, Sakura-chan." He whispered in her ear lowly. Sakura's vagina clenched involuntarily. He raised her to her knees, noticing that she got the front of his boxers drenched in her juices. He clicked his tongue several times.

"Ah, Saku-chan, so naughty you are…soaking me with your nectar…and I haven't even touched you there yet! We'll remedy that, though." He slid her underwear down and off her body, and Shino's pants grew tighter. He could smell her arousal wash over him in heady waves. She watched with fascination as Shino's eyes began to smolder once more, this time much more intensely. She looked down even further, and couldn't believe her eyes. Shino hid so much to offer from the eyes of Konoha's females.

Sakura slumped forward in Shino's grasp, as he inserted one long finger inside of her. Moans escaped both of them, Sakura's in pleasure, Shino's in disbelief of how tight she was around one finger, and how strong her inner muscles were, trying to suck his finger in deeper. After he was sure she took one finger pretty well, he inserted another finger, scissoring so that she would stretch to accommodate him well. Sakura cried out, holding on for dear life as he pumped his fingers in and out of her slowly and purposefully. His fingers were soaked, and Shino inserted a third finger, stretching her out gently. Sakura whimpered, and shook slightly, riding his fingers as much as he would allow. Shino had a hard time concentrating, her breasts were pressed against his chest, his nose buried in her hair, smelling the sweet fragrance of strawberries. Shino wiggled out of his boxers, only for his cock to slap against her ass. Sakura felt it, and reached a hand back to stroke it lovingly.

Shino began to move his fingers in the 'come hither' movements, and Sakura knew she was close. She shuddered slightly, and let out a low keening noise as she came violently. Shino groaned softly as her juices ran down his fingers and into his cupped hand. She fell bonelessly into his arms. She caught her breath, and watched as he slicked her own juices over his cock liberally. She was so weak at the moment, so she watched as he brought himself to an unbearable hardness. Sakura winced, noting his eight and one half inches, sure he was at least a couple of inches thick. She suddenly itched to have him inside of her, and she found the strength to get up on her knees and crawl over him, swinging a leg over on the other side. His cock brushed against her opening, and he bit his lips slightly.

"Sakura, this may or may not hurt, depending on how deep your hymen is…is this your first time?" Shino's heart soared as she nodded shyly. Shin grinned goofily. '**She's all ours!'**

"I trust you, Shino-kun." Kura waved her fists. '**If you don't fuck me now….!'**Kura didn't have long to wait. Sakura guided him to her entrance, and he slid right in, hitting her cervix only after she hit the base of him. They both blushed at not only the immense pleasure, but the fact that they were a perfect fit. They moved slowly at first, sliding against the other with careless abandon. Shino used his strong arms to pull her up and down over him, Sakura helping him by using her knees. They were deprived so long, they were so close. Shino wanted her first time with him to be memorable, so he lowered a hand between their joined bodies and rubbed her clit roughly as she bucked in his arms, bouncing up and down on his cock. Her eyes flew closed suddenly as she ground against him swiftly in orgasm. Shino grunted at the constant milking motions rippling around his cock. He couldn't take much more and let loose several long shots of thick seed inside of her. She was shaking slightly, and Shino murmured sweet nothings and stroked her hair gently. Sakura sighed. He chuckled as she fell asleep in his arms, their bodies still entwined. He covered them with his dark brown yukata.

It was a good thing she was asleep too, for she wouldn't have appreciated the fact that there were three of their guests in a high tree not too far away from them with wide grins on their faces. Three pairs of eyes, one ice blue, another pearly white, and the last canine black looked gleefully at the two people caught in a rather uncompromising situation. Luckily for them, Sakura was incapacitated at the moment. Kiba cackled lightly at the scene, as Ino was grinning, but clearly frustrated at the same time. Neji held his smirk, as his hand shot out. The blond kunouichi groaned in her loss.

"Ino-san, you owe me twenty bucks."

A small kikai bug flew onto the finger of one lounging Aburame clan leader. The bug flickered it's wings in a sort of communicative pattern. Shibi grinned.

"That's my boy..."

Hmmm, I might just leave it there. I don't know. Whatever, I've satisfied my thirst for some Shino/Sakura lovin'. I promised that I would make one of my one-shots a sequel, but I'm not so sure which one it's gonna be. *shrugs* You'll just have to wait to figure out which one it'll be. *grins* Don't forget to rate and review. I love reviews very, very much! I don't care how short it is.


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